Bloodlines
by Haruka-Chan 212
Summary: An ancient feud rekindles when the last surviving Tenou comes face to face with the family that killed her ancestors. Rated for subject matter and language. -Chapter 4 up-
1. Chapter 1

It's been a while since I've written anything. Wanted to come back with something special. This is a story concept I stumbled across while cleaning one day. The concept itself is more then two years old. I guess I finally found the motivation to write it.

Special thanks to Soniclove for proofing it and Lostinhersong for helping me with the fight scene.

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**Bloodlines  
****Chapter 1**

**Date:** _July 27, 1843_  
**Place:** _Tokyo, Japan  
_**Event:** _Fall of the Tenou Empire_

"Mommy, can we go into town?" Umeko tugged on the hem of her mother's dress.

Azumi hesitated in answering. Her husband placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder before whispering into her ear. "Go with her. What could it hurt?"

The young woman sighed in defeat. "Alright. Come on sweetheart." She reached down to take the hand of her five year old daughter before turning to walk down the hallway. It was a short walk down the stone path that lead to the iron gates that kept their palace separate from the rest of the town.

The market was a calm place that day, merchants and peddlers showing their wares on blankets they had spread over the rickety stalls that were built years prior. Voices mingled as the same merchants yelled to grab the attentions of any passer-by interested enough to stop to haggle down prices.

Business was wonderful in Tokyo. The number of homeless was down due to numerous acts that had been put into effect helping to keep the money from sitting, gathering dust, in the bank vault of one of the richer family's in town. Jobs were abundant, and the public schools that were offered were

Many of the high class families, though, did not enjoy the Tenous catering to the peasants. They hated seeing their money pulled from their accounts in taxes, just so those in the lowest social class could live in a somewhat comfortable manner. Or just, live in general.

Many had tried, some had come so very, very close, but none had actually succeeded…until that day.

"Bust down the gates!" The shout echoed throughout the streets surrounding the Tenou Palace.

Umeko pushed her way through the line of people that formed on the streets edge to see more than two dozen mounted militia rushing the gates of her home. "Umeko, get back here!" Azumi grabbed her daughter's hand before she could be seen by any of the men.

It was a mixture of Kaiou's family and outsiders that had been hired in. The Kaiou family was the second richest in the city. They had planned and attempted to overthrow the Tenou reign for decades. They were the only family to have ever come close.

Azumi quickly pulled the hood of their cloaks over their heads, if their hair color was hidden, the group of men wouldn't know they belonged to the family. "Who are those people?" Her voice was shaky as she watched the gate of her home fall under their force.

The head of the Tenou house felt his pulse begin to pound in his ears as the initial wave of militia breached his castle walls, the fingers of his right hand tightening around the hilt of his sword. His blonde hair was tied back in a pony tail, the wind whipping through the open windows to free it from its bonds, it beginning to fly around his face. His grey eyes were narrowed, the sounds of the battle surrounding him. His men were falling at an alarming rate, the attack catching them off-guard. He unsheathed his own sword, and launched himself into the heat of the battle.

"Ah, Ken Tenou. It's such a pleasure to see you again. Shouldn't you be sitting on your throne with your head up your queen's skirt," a cold, chilling voice stated from the door.

The blonde king turned, frowning when he saw the tell-tale aqua hair of the head of the Kaiou household. "What are you doing?" He hissed, his sword gleaming with blood.

He was answered with a chuckle. "Killing you, of course, and taking this city for my family. Where it belongs!"

Once all the noise settled. Katsuro Kaiou emerged through the mangled mess that was once the palace gates. "Fine people of Tokyo!" He shouted at the top of his lungs to gain the attention of the nearby citizens. "A new dawn is upon us," he let out one last yell before raising Ken's head high above his own.

The chatter that ran through the crowd hushed almost instantly. Some people gasped in a mixture of shock and horror, while others, mostly of the Kaiou allegiance, cheered and applauded.

Azumi covered her mouth as she watched in horror. Her worst fears had come true. She quickly pushed her way through the crowd, away from the men who just slaughtered her entire family. Away from the man who held up the freshly decapitated head of her own father. She didn't want to admit it to herself. But if her father had fallen that easily, so did her husband. A stray tear slid down her cheek as she dragged her daughter into a side alleyway.

"Mommy, what's happening?" Umeko tried to pull away to go back out to look.

The mother only held the child's arm tighter, preventing her from getting anywhere. "Nothing sweetheart," she knelt down to look into Umeko's baby blue eyes. "We're going to play a game okay?"

The child's eyes lit up and she smiled. Azumi often wished she could remember the time when she didn't have a care in the world either. "What game are we going to play?"

"We are going to hide," She pushed the cloth of her daughter's cloak aside to fix her hair. Tucking it all back behind her to make sure nobody could see it. "And you have to keep your head covered. Alright?"

"Am I hiding from you?"

The older woman shook her head, "No honey. We're going to hide from those people with the water colored hair."

"Why?" The youth inquisitively asked.

Azumi took a moment to fix her own hair before leading her daughter to a more run down portion of the city. "Because they want to hurt us."

"Daddy wouldn't let them hurt us!" Umeko stopped and pouted.

The mother just wanted to yell and scream, telling her daughter just to shut up and stop asking questions. She couldn't bring herself to do it though. She knew, even if she told Umeko that their family was dead, she wouldn't understand, "Daddy's gone honey."

"Where did he go?"

Azumi stopped to sit down in a small alcove in the stone wall, she drew her daughter near to her. "You know how in church," she paused to make sure she did, in fact, have her child's attention. "In church we talk about Heaven and Hell. Right?" Umeko nodded. "He's…" She choked back tears as she thought of how to explain to her child about her husband. "He's on his way up to Heaven right now."

Umeko frowned, "When can we go home?"

"We can't." She looked away from her daughter, tears seeping through her clenched eyes. "We can never go home."

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_**Don't forget to review since you made it this far :)**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**This chapter didn't turn out as long as I'd hoped. But I'm still satisfied with the contents.**_

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**Bloodlines  
Chapter 2**

**Date:** _December 13, 1847_  
**Place:** _Tokyo's Lower District  
_**Event:** _The Plague Hits Home_

Her family had spent over a century rebuilding the worst parts of the city. They had spent tax money to save the poor. To keep them from death by starvation. It's only taken four years. Four short years to make the rich richer, and the poor poorer. Not once had Azumi seen any signs of renovations or charity passed on to the lower district.

Katsuro Kaiou pulled all of the funding for those who were "lower" than him. Anybody who wasn't rich, or didn't work actively in the market or schools was forgotten. They were forced into the lower district to rot. No schools were allowed to admit children from the lowest class. Anybody found talking to or even coming in contact with those from that district were subject to immediate termination. The homeless had to resort to theft and various other crimes just to survive.

Azumi let out a heavy sigh as she laid herself down on the thin blanket that had become her bed. Beside her lay the barely alive body of her eldest daughter, Umeko. Curled up against the wall, her youngest daughter, Eri. Eri was born just over seven months after the Tenou family fell.

Her head snapped back to look over her shoulder when Umeko woke up. She was groaning and coughing violently. The plague was taking its toll on her frail body. She contracted it just over a month ago when a close friend of hers got it from her family.

The illness spread like wild fire throughout the lower district. With no access to any doctors for the poor, nobody had any protection.

"I can't breathe." Umeko spoke between coughs. She attempted to cover her mouth with her hand to keep from spreading the germs to her baby sister. It didn't help. Soon her hand was dripping the blood that was escaping her lungs

"I'll get you help," The older woman stood up and made haste to where the nearest medical supply shop was set up.

She turned the corner, exiting onto a street that brought her into the center of the marketplace. "Where do you think you're going?"

Azumi froze when a gloved hand grabbed her shoulder. "I need medicine…please…my daughter's sick." She looked up at the stern face of one of Katsuro's many city guards.

The man burst into laughter. "The city would be much better if you peasants just died."

"But you don't understand," Azumi tried to plea with the man in front of her, yet to no avail.

The smirk on his face grew as he began to reach for his sword. "Do you want to die right here? In front of all these people?" She shook her head. "Get back to your hole in the wall then. Hope your daughter dies soon you worthless pile of shit."

Four years ago she never would have seen guards treat any citizen like that. The men that her father had working for him were wonderful. They treated everybody with the utmost respect. Ken didn't allow any harsh treatment, regardless of social class.

"Umeko, wake up!" Azumi came around the corner to see Eri shaking Umeko's lifeless body. "Mommy, she won't wake up."

"No…" Azumi cradled her eldest child close to her. It was, in fact, true. Umeko was unresponsive to everything. The mother leaned closer with her ear to listen for any signs of breathing. There were none. "Umeko, wake up. Please honey, wake up," nothing. "Mommy's here for you. You're going to be okay," she rocked slowly with the dead body in her arms.

It was on that day when young Umeko Tenou's life was cut tragically short. Had they not fallen to the Kaiou's, Umeko would never had become ill. Or, if she had, they'd have access to the best medicine.

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**Place:**_ Kaiou Palace_

"Sir, the Tenous are still alive."

Katsuro quickly stood and made his way to his leading commander, "What did you just say?"

The commander swallowed the lump in his throat before speaking again, "A dead body was found near a shop in the marketplace. It was a child," he paused. "She had blonde hair."

Katsuro angrily slammed his fist on the table beside him, the glasses atop shaking violently. "A child means a mother. Find her! I want her brought to me immediately."

"Yes sir."

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_**If you've made it this far, don't forget to review! :D**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hopefully this chapter is to everybody's liking. I know you all are probably a little confused as to how Haruka and Michiru will come into play. Or even when they'll come into play. I'm looking at around chapter 5 or 6 before they're introduced.

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**_

**Bloodlines  
Chapter 3**

**Date:**_ December 17, 1847_  
**Place: **_Tokyo Lower District_**  
Event: **_End of the Road_

"Eri, I have to do this, please hold still." Azumi continued to cover her daughter's hair in mud. Taking her time to rub it into each strand to hide any traces of the yellow that it once was. "Mommy's going to go away for a while. But you're going to stay with Ren and her brother, okay?"

Eri nodded. Being four years old, the child didn't understand that her mother wasn't going to come back, "I like Ren and Goro."

"I like them too, that's why they're going to watch over you for a little while," Azumi swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. She had to be strong. If Eri saw any kind of fear, then she'd become scared too. "You're going to see some bad things soon. Some very bad things. But you have to promise you'll be strong. Do you promise?" Eri nodded. "Good girl," Azumi took a step back to admire her work. Her daughter's hair was now the same shade of brown as everybody else's. Just what she was after, "No matter what, you have to always keep your hood up. Do you promise me that?"

"I promise mommy."

Azumi spied guards in the distance checking everybody as they passed, "Go play with Ren honey. It's time for mommy to leave." She had seen death many times over the past few years. She had prepared herself for it since the day her family was slaughtered.

"Where are you going mommy?"

"I have to go be with Umeko now honey, please go with Ren, look…she's waiting for you." Azumi rushed her child into the arms of her close friends and out of sight before approaching the pair of men.

"Come on already. We've checked everybody. She's not here," the taller of the two spoke before grabbing a random woman and pressing her to the wall. "Why don't we have a little fun with these things before heading back?"

"Please don't hurt me," the frightened woman begged.

He chuckled, his hand raising to grope her breast. "We won't hurt you…much."

"When my family was in charge, people weren't left on the streets to rot because of who they were," Azumi spoke firmly as she stepped closer. She was no longer afraid of death. "My family spent their entire reign preventing scum like you from taking advantage of the less fortunate."

"Who do you think you're talking to you little bitch?" The taller man pushed the woman in his grasp aside before turning his attention to Azumi.

She took a deep, reassuring breath before lowering the hood that once covered the color of her hair from society around her. "I've seen death. It has surrounded me these last few years. I am no longer afraid of it," Her eye contact never broke away from the guards. "I'd rather be the one person you take and kill then to see you mercilessly slaughter more innocent lives."

Her breath caught in her throat as they gripped both of her arms, preventing any attempt at escape, "I think Kaiou would love to hear your rantings."

"The Tenous will NEVER be forgotten!" Azumi shouted repeatedly as they dragged her out of the alleyway, through the marketplace, and finally into the place she once called home. "You're all going to hell."

"I highly doubt that my blonde headed wench." Katsuro's hand landed, palm first, on Azumi's cheek. "You see my dear, this is how life is suppose to be…chain her to the chair." The guards quickly obeyed.

"People are not meant to suffer."

"And shut her up while you're at it," He massaged his right hand, loosening the muscles. He paced back and forth in front of her. "You Tenous were weak. You thought you could help everybody. Even if they didn't want the help," A smirk played on his lips. "Now…look at it. We help the people that want to be helped." Azumi's response was muffled. "What was that deary?" He made the mistake of moving the cloth that covered her mouth only to have her spit in his face. "You little bitch," he backhanded her. The room was filled with the groans that rumbled deep in her throat.

"Sir, the dagger you requested," Azumi turned to look at one of her former servants. "A…A…Azumi…?" The older woman's eyes grew wide in shock.

She turned to leave in a hurry. "Oh don't go very far slave. I'll need you to clean up the mess before it stains the nice hardwood floors."

"I have faced death. It no longer scares me. I'm come to embrace it as my inevitable fate. You do not scare me. I have no fears left. I've seen the best and worst that any one person could ever imagine. Going from the plush luxury of this home to not knowing where I'm going to sleep at not. Or even not knowing if I'm going to wake up."

"You know you talk too much." He traced his finger along the dagger's blade, a thin line of blood appearing on his fingertip. Without hesitation, the blade met Azumi's throat with all of his strength. The room fell silent, the only noise being from the sickening gurgling that she emitted. "Farewell Tenous." He placed the blade on the tray the servant brought it to him on and turned on his heel to leave the room. "Clean up the mess," He stopped for a moment. "The Tenous will soon be forgotten. Anybody you catch speaking that vile name, kill on the spot." His eyes locked with his general's. "Is that understood?"

The gruff general nodded and saluted his leader. "Yes sir. Anything you say sir."

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"When's mommy coming home?" Eri tugged lightly on Ren's hand.

Ren turned to her, a solemn look on her face, "I don't know how to tell you this honey…" She picked up the young girl and held her close. "Mommy's not coming back."

Eri frowned, "Umeko never came back either." She looked Ren in the eyes. "So are you my mommy now?"

The woman couldn't hide her smile at the child's innocence, "I guess so. Yea…I can be mommy Ren, and Goro can be your uncle Goro. How's that sound?"

"Okay mommy Ren." Eri hugged the woman who's arms she was in before wiggling out of them and running off.

"It's going to be a hard life for you kiddo…"

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**_Well, if you've made it this far...please review..._**


	4. Chapter 4

**_I wanted and tried SO very hard to get a chapter written before the time jump. Well, not so much before, just something in the middle, before a nearly 200 year jump. The words weren't coming though. I started at the same blank page for multiple days, simply trying to think of something to write. But nothing came. I even tried to write one for Haruka's birth, still…no luck.

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Bloodlines  
Chapter 4

**Date: **_March 6, 2040  
_**Place: **_Tokyo City Center_  
**Event: **_18th Birthday Celebration_

"The guards will be busy with protecting the royal family," a young blonde haired woman spoke to her close friend. "Ryo, this could be our only chance to eat for a while."

He glanced around him briefly, "Haruka, you truly are nuts. I hope you know that."

She fixed the worn knit cap on her head before picking up a stick to draw out her plan. Haruka knew very little of her past lives. The only thing she knew for a fact, was that she was told, from a very young age that she had to keep her hair short and covered, at all times.

"Here's the castle," she drew an oddly shaped square in the dry soil. "The path the parade will take goes right through the Market District…here." She continued drawing her lines and symbols. The stick stopped abruptly after two Xs were marked. "Bakery and produce. Our targets."

"Right. I've got the bakery, you're hitting the produce stand."

She smirked when she nodded, "We're going in as the parade passes right out front. That's when everybody will be the most distracted. That's also when it'll be easiest to vanish," they walked through the alleyway. "With so many people it'll be a snap to lose anybody fool enough to chase us."

"Genius," Ryo slapped Haruka's back as they walked.

Much had changed in the last two centuries. The roads evolved from the dry dirt of the 1800s to the loose stone at the turn of the 20th century, then brick by the mid 1900s, to finally the solid black pavement it was now. Times had seen the rise and fall of horse drawn carriages. Steam power was short lived. Now, solar powered vehicles were the only acceptable form of transportation.

People of all social classes lined the streets. Those of the highest caliber allowed in the front. While those in the back were of the lowest social class. The peasants that were often forgotten about. Haruka and Ryo pushed their way through the mass of people, heading closer to their destination. Nobody was the wiser to their plan. They just assumed that two more people showed up to see the princess as she celebrated her coming of age ceremony.

"Here she comes," Haruka stretched her neck to see just how close the motorcade was getting. "In you go." She rushed Ryo away.

"Father, when can we go home?" The princess whispered to the aqua-haired man beside her. She hated how he paraded her around like some sort of prized trophy.

The expression fell from his face, "Michiru, you know better than to ask something like that. There's still four kilometers left. Now, be a good girl and wave to your people." The king raised his right hand to gesture his greeting to the citizens on his side of the vehicle..

"They're not 'my people.' They're your little pawns on your chess board of life." Michiru refused to smile at the people surrounding her.

"What have I told you about that kind of thinking?" His voice was hushed, yet dripping with anger.

"To not have it," She couldn't help but smirk when she spied two younger people running away from two shops with food in their hands. "If I had my way there would be no need for theft for people to stay alive."

"Stop them! Thief! Thief!" The produce merchant yelled at the top of his lungs as he chased Haruka and Ryo.

Katsuo ordered his guards after them. "No," Michiru spoke calmly, "Stop the car." He obeyed her and turned to watch her as she climbed out of the back of the convertible.

The light breeze cut right through the layers of clothing she wore on that early Spring day. Her aqua hair flew wildly as a gust of cold air rushed down the street, "Michiru, get back in the car this instant."

The defiant teenager ignored him. She smiled sweetly to both the produce merchant and the baker when she came face to face with them. "Here, this should cover anything that was stolen, plus some extra." She handed a stack of bills to each of them. They were both too awestruck to respond with anything more then gratitude.

"Hey Ryo, look at that," Haruka stopped when she noticed they were no longer being chased.

"What's she doing?" He lifted a roll to his mouth, taking a big bite.

Haruka's eyes glazed over when the princess smiled at her, "She's beautiful."

"Oh, keep dreaming buddy. That's the only way you'd ever get her." The young man patted her shoulder. "Let's go eat. I'm starved."


End file.
